James Button Email & Phone Number

New York, NY, US

• Private equity investor in nondestructive ultrasonic testing product, system and service companies. Active in management of controlling interests.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US

• Turned unprofitable company around in 21 months, outperforming strategic plan goals, enhancing operating cash flow by 50%.
• Grew sales 19% by recruiting and training company-wide sales force, rebranding under new “Restore” name and logo, and launching new company website.
• Built recurring revenue stream by establishing new referral relationships with hospitals, medical centers, and surgical physician offices.
• Launched 6 patient recall clinics leading to increased prosthetic sales.
• Co-marketed patient services with 3 international medical device manufacturers.
• Increased gross margins by bargaining for higher reimbursement rates and new contracts with health insurance payors.

Rockaway, New Jersey, US

• Led company to reverse sales decline and double earnings in 19 months.
• Upgraded sales force, restructured sales territories, designed and implemented new incentive compensation plan.
• Negotiated improved distribution agreement, focused advertising and social media campaigns, developed new customer education program.
• Increased operating margins by eliminating excess overhead expense.
• Increased cash flow by reducing working capital through shortening receivables and decreasing excess inventory while improving on-time delivery performance.

• Founded and built national sales and marketing corporation selling voice and data telecommunications systems to businesses with 20-200 employees.
• Negotiated exclusive sales outsourcing agreement with NextiraOne, the largest U.S. installer of Nortel Networks and Cisco business systems.
• Capitalized business by securing third party long-term financing.
• Grew revenue to $43 million by creating and executing marketing plan.

• Appointed COO of telecommunications subsidiary following advisory assignment on fuel cell industry investments.
• Reduced overhead expense 55% in 3 months while maintaining profitable customer relationships.
• Turned company around from a $2 million monthly loss to profitability in 6 months.
• Earned maximum performance bonus for 9 consecutive months.

• Acquired Powerine Oil Company, a 250,000 barrel per day oil refining business in Santa Fe Springs, CA.
• Replaced president with new plant manager and reduced headcount 50%.
• Managed finance, control, legal, environmental, and human resources departments.
• Generated cash through asset sales, settlement of insurance policies and lawsuits, sale of plant purchase options, and 3 private placement financings.
• Maintained investor, creditor confidence during extended period of financial distress.
• Sold company after 30 months for $40 million, equal to 15 times its purchase price.

Lititz, PA, US

• Led 57-employee specialty shipping business, a $22 million international freight forwarder serving entertainment industry.
• Acquired second largest non-scheduled U.S. airline, operating 15 commercial jets.
• Developed and executed marketing plan to diversify customer base of time-sensitive shippers.
• Designed and implemented employee incentive compensation system.

Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE

• Led merchant banking group, a profit center contributing $44 million cash earnings in 1992, increasing to $109 million in 1994.
• Acquired petrochemical assets of Fletcher Challenge Ltd. for $738 million, creating world’s largest methanol company, Methanex Corp., earning 100.7% IRR.
• Structured and negotiated $122 million joint venture with American Cyanamid, converting ammonia plant to methanol.
• Secured $120 million of project finance debt for oil refinery.
• Managed $42 million initial public offering of common stock.

• Identified and analyzed acquisition candidates, negotiated purchase terms, structured buyouts, secured debt financing, managed resulting investments.
• Purchased $100 million supply boat fleet serving offshore natural gas industry, providing 29.6% IRR.
• Established company to consolidate specialty coffee industry; bought two regional gourmet coffee companies for $30 million, providing 48.1% IRR.

• Executed 14 merger and acquisition transactions. Advised 6 clients in takeover defense.
• Managed 15 public equity offerings including 7 initial public offerings, 2 high yield debt and 2 convertible debt offerings; closed deals ranging from $10 million to $730 million.
• Promoted from Associate specializing in financial modeling and valuation.

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Business Administration And Management, General

Ba, Economics, Political Science

Education record